A Castle will Rise
by devildog3479
Summary: Sequel to a Castle will Fall. Captain Gates has been brutally executed and Castle is severely wounded in a drive-by and is now in the Hospital. Kate, Ryan and Esposito are off the case as the Feds are taking over, but this wont stop them from investigating the case. As they dive deeper into the case, a surprising guest from the past arrives to help the team get justice.
1. Prolouge

**A Castle will Rise.**

 **Prologue**

 **Abandoned Industrial East River Area**

 **Manhattan, New York**

The flashing of red and blue lights flashed in the growing darkness of the evening as top brass, officers from the 12th and other units gathered around the murder scene of Captain Victoria Gates, and Detective Anna Johnston. Lanie Parrish was there as she clearing and checking the bodies for transport to the morgue. Kevin Ryan, and Javier Esposito stood off to the side as Lanie performed the final checks and nodded to her team to collect the fallen officer.

"Ryan, where's Beckett?" Esposito whispered as the bodies were loaded onto the gurneys. A police official called the assemble group to attention to render the final salute as the bodies were moved to the coroner van. As the van doors closed the group broke as Lanie came over to Esposito. "Lanie have you heard from Beckett?"

"No. I haven't heard from her sinc….." Lanie started to say as new activity swarmed the area.

"10-13 officer needs assistance. 595 Broome Street." The call went out over the radio.

"That's Castle and Beckett's address." Ryan said as they took off running towards the car they had picked up from the precinct. Lanie jumped in the backseat as Ryan sped off with two other units from the 12th responding as well.

Even in early evening traffic was heavy, but they arrived within 15 minutes of the call. They saw an ambulance parked and the area roped off. They saw a stretcher being loaded on and that is when Lanie gasp. Richard Castle was the one on the stretcher as paramedics worked to get him strapped in and on the way to the hospital.

"Let's go." Kate ordered as she climbed aboard after her husband. Ryan looked over as he saw Martha and Alexis in tears as the paramedics were finishing the last minute things before leaving.

"Kate!" Lanie called out as she stood on the back of the ambulance.

"Lanie, it was a drive by. One round to the chest, sounds like a lung." Kate said through sobs, fear, determination, and anger all in one. She then saw the rest of her team. "Ryan, Espo, put Martha and Alexis in a squad car with another unit following them. It was a drive by hit."

"Got it." Ryan said after the shock of the moment passed and Beckett called out to them. Ryan went over to Martha and Alexis. "Martha, Alexis come on, we'll get you to the hospital. Please."

Martha and Alexis were too shocked to realize what he had said, so it took them a moment and then they nodded. Ryan led them over to a 12th Precinct squad car and placed them in it and talked to the officer. "Mitchell, you drive them, and have Sanders follow you."

"Kate, we'll act as rolling roadblocks." Esposito called out over the noise of the scene. Ryan ran to the car as another unit from the precinct volunteer to act as the other road block, as the last paramedic boarded.

"Got it Espo." Kate yelled as he caressed her husband's face and had a new wave of concern was over her.

"Good, let's go." A paramedic called out and the doors closed to the ambulances which started off towards the hospital.

The rolling road blocks got out in front of the ambulance to start closing off intersections and opening holes in traffic for the ambulance to make it to the hospital. Other units joined in as well as they raced in and around to open the road up. Within 15 minutes the ambulance arrived at Bellevue hospital with the trauma team waiting for them outside.

"40 year old male, gunshot wound to the right chest. Possible pneumothorax to the right lung." One of the paramedics said to the team as they were unloading Rick from the ambulance. "Pressure 100/55 and falling, pulse is 45."

"Any allergies to medications?" A member of the trauma team asked as they were rushing him through the ER towards a trauma bay.

"None that we know of." Kate said following the team pushing her husband towards a trauma bay.

"It's Richard Castle." A nurse stated as she finally recognized the person on the gurney.

"The author?" Another nurse asked and took a quick glance back towards Kate. "That's his wife then."

"Right now, he's our patient." The doctor scolded them as they arrived at the trauma bay. They lifted him off the stretcher and moved him on to the gurney. "Alright the full work up. Type and match his blood. I want x-rays and someone get the sonogram as well. Detective I need you to wait outside ok?"

"Doctor I want to….." Kate started to say before the doctor walked over.

"I know you do, but we need the space to work and get him stable so we can save him okay?" The doctor told her, and Kate all she could do was nod.

A nurse escorted Kate out of the trauma bay and towards the waiting room when a voice called out. It was Alexis. "Kate. Where is he?"

"He's being worked on right now Alexis. Let the doctors work." Kate told her as she wrapped Alexis into a hug as tears came to the both of them.

"Kate what happened?" Martha asked as she came over to join the hug.

"A SUV came up the street. Rick must have seen the gun and next thing I know I was being pulled down by him as gunfire started." Kate said as they continued to hug for a moment before a small cough by the nurse broke it up. They started walking towards the waiting room "Next thing I know I saw him lay there with blood on his shirt and around his back. I called it in and…."

Alexis saw that Kate was breaking down. "Kate it wasn't your fault. You did were just doing your job."

"Alexis is right sweetheart." Martha reassured her daughter in law. She gave her a quick squeeze as they arrived at the waiting room. "I call your father darling."

"Oh sh…." Kate cursed into her hands when she heard the news. "With everything that is going on I forgot."

"It's ok, I took care of it." Martha again reassured Kate, and patted her back.

"Beckett." Kate heard Esposito voice call out from across the waiting room. She saw Lanie and Ryan right behind him. They hugged each other.

"What happened?" Ryan asked after a moment.

Kate motioned the police officers that escorted Alexis and Martha to stay with them. Kate then led her team back to quiet corner of the waiting room. "We were on our way out to respond to the officer down call. A black SUV came up the street and opened fire on us. Rick pulled me and him to the ground. One round hit his chest, I think in the lung."

"If there isn't too much damage, he'll be fine Kate." Lanie reassured her friend, with more confidence than she felt.

"I hope so Lanie, because I can't lose him." Kate said leaning her head on her best friend's shoulder. She looked at Ryan and Esposito. "Who went down?"

Ryan, Esposito, and Lanie all looked at each other for a moment before Ryan answered. "Captain Gates."

"What? How?" Kate asked almost in shock.

"It appears she was meeting a former investigator of hers from IA. We don't know what about." Esposito told her as he looked over his notes. "Detective Anna Johnston was the on duty IA detective and informed dispatch she was taking a call."

"Thank god for that call because if dispatch hadn't sent a car to check on her, we would haven't found them for a while." Ryan said as he tossed a glance over to Martha and Alexis. "They were ambushed and it looks like the shooters were using AK's."

"That's what they used on me and Rick." Kate told them. Ryan and Esposito looked at each other and Beckett, who thought about it before she spoke. "We have to find those SUV's…."

"Too bad we are off the case." Esposito told Kate as he leaned against the wall. He saw the look on her face. "Came down as we enroute here, the commissioner is turning this over to the FBI, so there is no cause for questioning the job that is being done. The Feds are bring somebody up from DC."

"Who?" Kate asked looking at Esposito now with her hands on her hips.

"Don't know, but the Captain's murder scene has been sealed off by the Feds, and your building as well." Ryan added to the conversation. "They won't be here till the morning."

"Detective Beckett, Mr. Castle's family." A doctor called out breaking Kate from her concentration. She moved quickly towards her family with Lanie, Esposito, and Ryan right behind her. The doctor shrugged off the extra people and looked at Kate, Alexis and Martha. "Your husband is stable. We were able to get him stabilize and a chest tube inserted to help relieve the pressure. He's on the way to surgery right now to repair the damage and close the wounds. We'll find you once he's out of surgery."

"Thank you doctor." Kate, Alexis, and Martha said to the doctor. All three hugged and shared a collective relief for the moment.

"Martha, you and Alexis head upstairs, I'll join you in a minute." Kate said to her family who nodded and left with their escorts in tow as well. She then turned to Ryan and Esposito. "Ryan go to the precinct and secure our investigation and get the summaries written. We may have to turn over the investigation, doesn't mean we not going to stop investigating.

"Right." Ryan responded knowing it was a fine line they be walking, but it would be worth it.

"I'll see if I can get the video feeds to us before the feds get their hands on them." Esposito told Kate as he pulled out his phone to call Tory.

"What are you going to do Kate?" Lanie asked already knowing the answer.

"I'm going to wait to see how Rick comes out of surgery." Kate replied to her friend as she saw the elevator close that carried Alexis and Martha. Shen then turned to her best friend. "Then I'm going to hunt the bastards down that did this."


	2. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1: The Hunters**

Kate, Alexis, Martha, Esposito, and Lanie were all sitting waiting for any update on Rick's condition while Ryan was at the precinct finishing the summaries and making copies of everything they had learned over the course of the investigation. As he finished securing the copies, the feds arrived to take everything from them as they had requested. Ryan returned to the hospital as soon as the feds left.

"Hey guys, any news yet." Ryan asked. It was pushing close to 1 am and everyone was operating on adrenaline, emotion and coffee.

"Not yet dog." Esposito replied from the chair that he was leaning back into. Lanie laid her head on his shoulder as she watched her friend and family keep an eye on the door.

"I called Jenny. She's on her way." Ryan told them as he settled in to a chair with the rest of them. "Feds came and got everything, but not before I made copies."

"Nice dog." Esposito replied with a nod of his head. Lanie got up to let Esposito take a seat next to Ryan. "How's it down at the station?"

"Depressed man. Everyone is walking around in a daze." Ryan told his partner. Esposito nodded as Ryan hung his head down in exhaustion and prayer.

"Ms. Beckett, Ms. Rodgers, Ms. Castle." A voice said coming through the door that lead to the surgical area. A doctor in white scrubs with blotches of blood on it walked out. Everyone stood as the doctor walked over.

"How is my husband doctor?" Kate asked taking both Alexis's and Martha's hands.

"He will be fine. We were able to stop the areas that were bleeding, and close up the wounds." The doctor told them. He saw the other people in the waiting room and noticed the badges. He shook it off. "He has a chest tube in right now to help keep the lung from collapsing again, but in the next few days that will come out as the wound starts to fully heal."

A sigh of relief came over everyone as hugs were passed around. Alexis then looked at the doctor. "When can we see him?"

"He's in recovery right now, then will be moved to ICU." The doctor told them. He shook hands with everyone that was there. "It will be about half hour to an hour."

"Thank you doctor." Kate told the doctor who nodded and left the relieved friends and family. "Lanie, Ryan, Esposito, if you guys want to leave you can. I'll meet you at the precinct in the morning."

"Kate, dear are you sure you want to be working this especially now?" Martha asked showing concern for daughter in law after everything that has happen.

Alexis leaped into the conservation. "Grams, she's the best person to find the people that did this. All of them are."

"But Alexis, sweetheart her focus should be here." Martha told her granddaughter.

"If I know dad, he'll want his wife hunting down the people that hurt her and her family." Alexis stated with a smile and a squeeze of both Kate's and Martha's hands.

"Beckett, if you want to let the feds take this we understand." Esposito said coming over with Ryan, and Lanie.

Kate looked around the room at her friends and family and then at the doors leading to the surgical area. She then turned her attention back to the group. "Meet me at the precinct at 9am."

Ryan, Lanie and Esposito nodded as they gave all three Castle ladies a hug before leaving. Jenny arrived just as the trio were walking towards the elevator. She stopped by to give the Castle ladies a hug and offered to help any way she could before catching up to her husband. Few minutes after that a nurse came and got them to bring them to the recovery room.

Even in low light, Rick looked pale and clammy. Yet as he heard the footsteps, his eyes opened to see the most important people in his life coming by his bedside. Kate got to him first and gave her husband a deep kiss. "You scared me babe."

"Scared me too." Castle replied with a weak smile as he clasp his wife's hands. He saw Martha coming around the other side. "Ahh mother, even this late you still look elegant."

"Oh Richard." Martha managed to smile in between the tears on her face. She leaned in kiss her son's cheek. "Always the charmer even in here."

"Learned from the best." Castle replied with another weak smile as Kate made way for Alexis. "My beautiful Alexis, I'm ok."

"I know dad." Alexis replied in between sobs as she laid her head on hers father's shoulders. Castle's hand wrapped around his daughter. "I was scared dad."

"I was too, but I know I would be ok." Castle told his daughter who lifted her head. He motioned his head towards Kate. "Look who I married."

Alexis smiled and the tears started to ease up and she got up off her father's shoulder. Castle looked at the three most important people in his life. Then he turned his attention to his wife. "Who went down?"

"Gates." Kate told him with her head dipping down a bit and looked over at Martha. She then looked at Rick. "Babe, you shouldn't worry about that now."

"I know, but I worry about you." Castle said reaching out his hand to his wife. She took it and came over close. "This isn't just about revenge anymore, someone has declared war on the team."

"Richard, you should rest." Martha said to her son placing a hand on his shoulder. She looked at her granddaughter and daughter in law. "Let whoever is taking over now, worry about that."

"Whomever is taking over won't be as good." Castle said with a weak smile. He then turned his attention to Martha. His other hand took her hand. "Mother, if they could get to us outside our building, what's that say about them?"

"It doesn't matter Rick, we aren't on the case anymore. Feds are." Kate said as her fingers played with his. She saw his face and smile which made her smile. "You know what I was going to do."

"Alright folks, we have to move him." The nurse said coming over as she started to check on everything.

"One second nurse." Castle said as he looked again at his wife. "You picked up some bad habits from me, but be careful please."

Kate nodded as she watched Castle being rolled out of the recovery room and to an ICU room. She, Alexis and Martha walked outside as she received a text message from her next level superior. "Police protection provided at hospital and your address. Prayers are with you."

Despite the crime scene tape outside and the flurry of activity as the crime scene techs processed the scene, the Castle ladies were allowed entry upstairs to the loft where they immediately went to bed. Kate's alarm went off the next morning at the usual time. She did her daily morning routine, and as quietly as she could left the loft since Alexis and Martha were still sleeping. The 12th had aspects of mourning for their fallen captain around the building as Kate arrived in the bullpen. She saw that Ryan and Esposito were already there.

"I thought I said 9." Kate said with a tired smiled at her friends as she sat down at her desk. She almost looked around for Castle who would have brought her morning coffee.

"Couldn't sleep knowing that these sleazebags are out there." Esposito stated as he looked over the copies that Ryan made.

"I agree with Javi." Ryan interjected himself into the conversation. He got up and handed Kate a lab repot. "This was in my email this morning. Lab got a match on the rounds from Captain Gates and the ones from your building. One of the guns used on Captain Gates, was fired at you."

"What about the SUV?" Kate asked looking at the lab report. She heard Esposito get up and come over.

"Before the feds got it, Tory was able to make a copy of the surveillance footage from the camera's that caught the SUV's." Esposito told her handing over a printout of two side by sides of SUV's. Plural SUV's meant "Two different SUV's but one of the passengers is in both photos.

"So more than one gun to take out Captain Gates, but one on Rick and me." Kate stated while looking at the pictures. She then looked up. "Doesn't make sense."

"It does if you know that killing a cop will bring you and Castle out." Ryan said as his desk phone rang. He walked over to answer it and a couple seconds later hung up. "The agent who will be running the Fed end just arrived and is on her way up."

Kate, Esposito and Ryan quickly secured the files that they had been going over and sat at their desks as the elevator dinged. Kate turned her head over her shoulder and her mouth dropped. Agent Rachel McCord, her boss from her time in Attorney General's office walked on into the bullpen.

"Detectives Beckett, Ryan and Esposito how are you doing today?" Agent McCord said walking over by Kate's desk and setting her bag down in Castle's chair.

"Pissed off, McCord." Kate said coming to her feet. While she understood the reasons why she was fired, it still chaffed her that they focused more on politics than the victim. "Why are you running this?"

"Sorry Detective Beckett that is classified." Agent McCord told her as she handed her the paperwork stating that she was now in charge of the investigation. "You do remember what classified is right Detective?"

"Yes I do." Kate said looking over the paperwork that had been handed her. "Your fellow agents came and got everything already."

"I know, but this a warning, if you or your fellow detectives are caught looking into this, you will be charged." Agent McCord told the assembled group as she closed up her bag. She then looked at Kate again. "I understand that you would want to, but do yourself the favor and go be with your husband while he recovers."

Agent McCord gathered up her bag and left the bullpen not caring about the looks that she was getting from the team. As soon as elevator doors closed, the team took out the files again and put them on their desk.

"I admired your restraint Beckett." Esposito told Kate as he went back to looking at the reports. Esposito looked up with a smile.

"Trust me, it took considerable restraint." Beckett answered with a smile as well. She got up and went to the murder board and updated it by placing Gates picture along with her husband's. "Castle would probably say something comforting at this point."

"If it helps, she died quickly Kate." Lanie said as she walked into the bullpen. She walked over and gave her friend a hug. "Feds brought in their own ME, but didn't realize I went to med school with him. He was willing to share information. Captain Gates died from multiple gunshots to upper chest area. Her heart stopped before she could bleed out."

"Not that comforting." Beckett replied to her friend's quick autopsy report.

"That's pretty much straight forward. Everything was classified." Lanie replied as she sat on the edge of Kate's desk. "Where's Alexis and Martha at?"

"At home, then going to the hospital." Kate told her friend as she came back to her desk and sat down. "I will be joining them there in a little while."

"Detective, this was dropped off at the front desk by messenger." A uniform brought a envelope to her and left after a thank you from Kate.

She opened the envelope and she pulled out a single piece of paper. She unfolded it and read what was typed on there. "FBI won't purse the murder of Captain Gates. They are after something bigger. Meet in Bellevue South Park by basketball court in one hour after you receive this. Bring your team."

Kate wondered if the note could have been a trapped, and even wondered if she should call the FBI. She then remembered what Castle said in the recovery room. She looked up from the notes. "Guys, secure those and come with me."

"Where we going Beckett?" Ryan asked as he again locked up his files. Everybody except Lanie board the elevator.

"We're heading to Bellevue South Park's basketball court." Kate stated as the elevator doors closed. She felt the looks of Ryan and Esposito on her. "Just be ready for anything."

It took them twenty minutes to reach the park. The team entered the park and spread out a bit as they walked towards the basketball courts. Kate noticed a man sitting down on the benches. As she approached the man got up and walked towards the exit of the park.

As Kate got ready to say this was a ruse, she heard a voice from behind. "Hello Kate, good to see you again."

Kate put her hand on her gun, pulling it out and as she turned she got a surprise that made her nearly drop her gun.

"NYPD. Put your hands on your head." Kate heard Esposito say as she saw him coming over. He saw Kate pull her weapon. She also caught sight of Ryan hurrying over as well with his weapon out.

"This is Anderson Cross a suspect…." Ryan said as he began to pull the man's arms behind his back.

"Ryan, Esposito, meet Jackson Hunt. My father in law." Kate told them as Ryan and Esposito shared a shocked look.


	3. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2: The Hunt is on**

"Say what Kate?" Ryan asked as he still had Hunt's arms behind him. He couldn't believe what he heard. He didn't know if he should release Hunt or just stay in that position.

"Father in law Beckett?" Esposito asked as he lowered his gun a little bit as he took in the news. He turned to Ryan and then back to Kate. "Castle has a father?"

"Yes he does." Hunt replied as he remained docile for the moment. He could have broken free, but didn't want to risk Esposito shooting as close as he was to Esposito. "Now Kate do you mind if….."

"Ryan let him go." Kate told Ryan who released Hunt's arms and put his cuffs away. Kate then turned her attention back to Hunt. "What are you doing here?"

"I thought my note semi-explained it to you?" Hunt said rubbing his forearms as he walked over to a bench near the basketball court, with the trio of detectives behind him.

"Very cryptic. Now why won't the FBI be investigating Captain Gates's murder and what makes this bigger?" Kate demanded as she saw Hunt sit down on a bench as he looked over the group.

"The whole thing about getting revenge about Gregory Volkov is only part of it. Illyana Volkov has been supplying arms to an international arms dealer that supplies terrorists." Hunt said looking around at the three of them. He saw the looks on their faces. "Still don't believe me. Well check your phone."

Kate with a curious look on her face pulled out her phone and saw that she had a new message. "Until further noticed, Detective Beckett, you and your team are temporarily assigned to the Department of Homeland Security."

"This comes from the commissioner's office." Kate said as she passed her phone to Ryan and Esposito. They were both shocked to see the message.

"My boss had a talk with your boss." Hunt said with a sly smile.

"Who the Director of the CIA?" Kate asked with her own smirk.

"Nope the one up the road from him at 1600 Pennsylvania." Hunt replied with a bigger smile on his face. He shook the heads at the groups shocked looks again. "Come with me and I'll explain it on the way to the hospital."

Kate, Ryan and Esposito looked at each other, but raced to catch up to Hunt as he started walking a fast clip. "Agent McCord and her team want the dealer and the Russians to shut down the arms pipeline, because besides terrorists, he also arms different criminal groups around the world. They want to stop that. We at the agency want to find out which terrorist groups the dealer has been supplying."

"Wont the FBI stop that?" Ryan asked as they caught up to him.

"It would, but this dealer has the name and places of the pickups and these groups." Hunt told them as he stopped by the exit of the park. He turned around and faced them. "Illyana knows who this person is, so the agency wants to get her to get the arms dealer."

"What about the mole and Detective Henderson?" Esposito asked as Hunt started to walk towards the hospital again.

"Henderson got caught in massive gambling debt like the doctor's wife, but agreed to be an inside man for them to work it off." Hunt answered Esposito's question as he continued to walk. He tossed a look over the shoulder. "He and Illyana also went to high school together, so she used that relationship to keep the information coming."

"And the mole?" Kate asked trying to keep up with her father in law. She raced ahead and put herself in front of him. "You're not going in there till I get everything."

Hunt looked at her for a moment before moving towards a bench near one of the buildings. "What they do is they purchase some of the weapons here legally, while also buying conversion kids. All perfectly legal, up until they use cheap labor to convert the weapons."

"Then they bring them to New York to be shipped overseas." Ryan stated getting a nod from Hunt. Ryan ran his hands over his head.

"Whoever it is at One Police Plaza monitors communications and knows the where the holes are in the patrol patterns." Hunt replied as he looked at the group.

"Why didn't you guys tell the FBI?" Esposito demanded.

"We passed along the information, but they apparently decided to wait." Hunt answered getting up off the bench and looked at Kate. "They didn't want to spook anybody, and used this to officially begin their investigation."

"This is how 9/11 happen man. Not of you bastards talk to each other." Esposito replied angrily and rightly so.

"McCord's team is the one that kept New York's field office out of it." Hunt stated turning to Esposito. He then turned to Kate. "They began looking into it shortly after you left the AG's office."

"So what do we do?" Ryan asked as Hunt took off again towards the hospital.

"We look at what you have gathered, and start digging deeper. The information is there, we just have to find it." Hunt replied as they crossed the street and walked towards the entrance of the hospital. "After we see my son."

They walked into the lobby where they signed in with the security guard and took the elevator to the floor where ICU and Castle was located. As they walked into the ICU ward, Kate whispered something into the police officer's ear, who nodded as he let them into the room. Castle, Martha and Alexis were there in the room.

"Hey Kate, how are….." Castle started to say as he noticed who also walked into the room with his wife. Martha was also in shock as she took her sons hand. "Mr. Hunt."

"Dad who is this?" Alexis asked her father when she noticed the shock look on her father's and grandmother's face.

"Alexis say hello to your grandfather." Castle replied to his daughter's question. He took a look over at his wife who shrugged her shoulders. "What are you doing here?"

"Good to see you too Richard. I was in town for work, and heard you were shot." Hunt told Castle as he looked over his son and muttered a curse under his breath. He then looked at Martha. "Martha you look elegant as always."

"Always the charmer." Martha said to her former lover. She squeezed her son's hands and looked over at Alexis. "Alexis why don't we get some coffee and let these folks talk."

"Dad?" Alexis asked by looking at her father. She had a look of confusion.

"Go on sweetheart, I'll explain later." Castle told his daughter who nodded. She gave her father a kiss on the cheek and left with her grandmother. "I'm waiting?"

"You guys stumbled on to a case that has the agency and the FBI intrigued." Hunt told his son as he came over and stood by the bedside. "What happen to you and Captain Gates, got Agent McCord's team going. Your wife and your team has most of the details."

"So anything happen to her or them?" Castle told his father as he tried to sit up but grimaced as pain flared in the area.

"Easy son. I won't let anything happen to her or them." Hunt told Castle as he placed a hand on his shoulder. "Rest, and I'm pretty sure Kate will keep you update. I'll see you outside."

As soon as Hunt left the room, Kate came over and grabbed Rick's hands as he looked at her. "Watch your back, I don't trust him."

"I will. I have these two watching mine." Kate said stroking one of her husband's arms as he motioned with her head towards Ryan and Esposito.

"Don't worry Castle, we'll watch out for each other." Esposito assured his friend by coming over and shaking his hand. He looked at Castle for a moment. "You just get well my friend."

Castle nodded his understanding as Ryan came over and shook his hand too. "We'll bring her back to you."

Kate waited for Ryan and Esposito to close the door as she gave Castle a deep kiss. She then looked at him. "I'll come back because we are not done talking about what I should do about either offer."

"I'll always support whatever you choose babe." Castle told Kate as he looked into her eyes. He reached up and moved some hair out of her eyes. "Go get them."

"I will, and when I close this, maybe we'll add another thing to the discussion list." Kate told him as she kissed him again deeply.

"Are you?" Castle asked wondering if she really was.

"Not yet, but after this it's something else I want to talk to you about." Kate answered him as she stood up and gave her husband the smile that made him weak. "Watch out for the rest of our family. I love you."

"I will and I love you too." Castle replied with his smile that Kate loved about him. She walked out of her husband's room drying a couple tears and caught up to Esposito, Ryan and Hunt.

"You okay Kate?" Ryan asked seeing a little bit of red eyes.

"Yeah." Kate replied quickly wiping her eyes again. They all took the elevator down and signed out with security before leaving for the precinct. As soon as they arrived they pulled out the files from their desk and started to go over them. Hunt set himself up in the conference room to look over what they had.

An hour after arriving he walked out and looked across the bullpen. "This charge for Nikolai Vasily for a motel in the Bronx. Did anyone check it out?"

"No we figured it was a place he used for one of his crew to hide out in." Esposito said after pulling up the file and looked it over. He then looked at the rest of them. "Charge hit the day Henderson went missing."

"What's the address?" Kate asked rising out of her seat.

"505 E 175th Street." Ryan told her after looking up the address on the computer. Everyone grabbed their weapons and badges and went towards the elevator. "What can we expect?"

"Hopefully him willing to come peacefully." Esposito replied to the question as the doors closed. In the traffic, it took them roughly forty-five minutes to arrive at the motel. They took up positions on opposite sides of the door. Ryan knocked as Esposito called out. "NYPD open up."

No answer, to which Kate nodded to Ryan who opened the door with the key they received from the manager. The group ran into the room and saw a suitcase and a poorly made bed. Kate went to the clear the bathroom where she found Henderson. "Guys in here."

Everyone came into the bathroom to find Henderson with a hole in forehead. The ice in the tube had kept the body from decomposing and releasing a smell. Esposito pulled out his cell and placed a phone call to Lanie.

"How do you want to handle this?" Kate asked her father in law as he checked out the body. She looked at him. "You touch him you'll containment any evidence?"

"I'm not going to touch I'm just looking." Hunt replied as looked over the body a little bit more. He focused on the forehead. "Russian 9 mil to head. Call in your guys, which means McCord will be here."

"We'll deal with her later." Kate said nodding to Ryan who placed a call into dispatch for a response team to show up. She walked out into the room and went over to the suitcase. She put on gloves and opened it. She began to rummage through it and found a cell phone. "Burner phone."

"I'll take it." Ryan said coming out and grabbing the phone from her. He placed it in a bag as he helped Kate go through the suitcase more. "Large envelope. Feels like cash."

"I'll take it from here Detectives." Agent McCord said from the door way. She walked into the room as her team stood outside waiting for her to come in. "I told you Detective Beckett what would…."

"I'm surprised that your superiors didn't give you the message Rachel." Hunt replied interrupting her from the bathroom door as he leaned against the door frame with big old smile on his face. "I told you in DC, agency has the lead on this one."

"Oh you guys just want the terrorist groups, I want the pipeline." McCord answered spinning around on her heels to face Hunt. "You know as well as I do, the agency can't operate on US soil."

"We can if we use local or federal law enforcement as the primary means of investigation." Hunt answered coming over and towered over her. He pulled out his phone and dial a number. "Now I had my boss contact the commissioner to do just that. Would you like to speak to him?"

McCord, backed into a corner, shook her head as she saw the number that was on the screen. "Very well, but it doesn't mean I am sharing information. She's reckless."

"Kate isn't reckless, but determine to find the truth of what happen and bring it out." Hunt replied to the accusation. He then looked over at Kate who smiled at him. "Detective let them have the folder, and we'll leave.

Ryan nodded and handed over the folder as he walked past McCord towards the door where Esposito was waiting for them to walk out. Agents let them out as they begin to seal off the room. As they reached the elevator, Kate pulled out her phone to place a call, as Ryan looked down the hallway and pulled the bag with the phone in it out of his pocket as he smiled.

"You sly dog." Esposito told Ryan giving him a fist bump as the elevators doors opened and they walked onto it. "Maybe we can pull numbers off it."

"Got it thanks." Kate said into her phone as the doors closed. She waited for the elevator to start down before talking. "I checked to see if Nikolai Vasily was still at Rikers, and for the moment he is."

"Have him brought to your precinct before McCord gets wise and pulls him." Hunt replied leaning against the back of the elevator. "She may be arrogant, but she's smart. She must have looked at the same records we did."

"She's right though you can't question him, but we can." Ryan told Hunt as the elevator stopped on the ground floor.

"Maybe it's time to turn the tables on Nikolai." Kate answered as they come out of the elevator. She felt Hunt come up beside her. "Reverse interrogation."

Ryan and Esposito stopped, turned and looked at Kate in shock as Hunt smiled.


	4. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3: Bigger problems**

"Beckett are you sure you want to do this?" Ryan asked from the observation room as they looked into interrogation. There sat Nikolai Vasily who looked at the glass at with contempt. "You said it yourself this is borderline entrapment."

"We don't have time for the traditional the interrogation Ryan." Kate said to her team as she looked through the glass into the interrogation room. She thought about what she was going to do, and reached into a folder pulling out pictures of Detective Henderson, and Illyana Gregory."

"So what are you planning on hitting him with?" Esposito asked as he saw her pull out the photos and then looked into the interrogation room.

"Just watch." Hunt said as he walked up to the window as Kate walked out. Ryan and Esposito looked at him and he just chuckled. "Trust me, she won't entrap him. He's not a terrorist so she throws in some truths its viable case."

Kate walked into the interrogation room and pulled out the chair as Nikolai watched all the way from the door. She set out the notepad in front of her. "Just to let you know, we are turning you over to the federal government for multiply violations of the automatic weapons act, attempted murder, two counts of murder and aid terrorism."

This got the attention now of Nikolai, to which Kate picked up on it so she laid the photo of Henderson down on the table. "We found him at the hotel you paid for. We know that you ordered the hit."

Nikolai's eyes darted from the photograph to Kate, and Hunt noticed this. "He didn't know."

Kate picked up on this too, and continued to pull on the thread. "You called from Rikers Island to one of your crew and ordered the hit because of this."

Kate laid the photo down of a cuddling Illyana and Henderson at the restaurant in Brighton Beach. She set it next to the other one. "That's the reason you haven't been released yet, and have no attorney present. You been tossed aside by her, and you wanted her back, because you knew about the two of them."

In the observation room, Ryan saw the body language shift. "She is getting somewhere."

"So you don't need to talk Nikolai, I was just letting you know what is going to happen to you. Go luck with the lethal injection." Kate told him as she started to get up from her desk.

"Wait." Nikoali replied as he saw her start towards the door. "I set up Henderson in the motel, but I didn't kill him. I knew about their relationship, but I called her to get him out of town."

"So what did he give you or Illyana?" Kate asked taking her seat again as she looked at him.

"Dates and times of raids on some our businesses and operations. Just parts that we knew that he police knew about." Nikolai told her fidgeting now in his seat. "I don't know who ordered the killing but I didn't do it."

"I don't believe you." Kate told him as she leaned forward in the chair. She decided to pull the thread again. "I have the phone records, you called Illyana, but you told her that Henderson could have been a problem."

"Yes if he was caught, so I wanted him out of town." Nikolai told her again as he now leaned forward. "He was dangerous for our next shipment and our contact up at your headquarters."

"What about this next weapons shipment? Where's it going" Kate asked now sitting up straight again and making notes.

"Illyana only knows that, said it was for my protection, but her contact will be here tomorrow for the arms deal." Nikolai stated as he leaned back in his chair.

Kate chewed on that information for a moment and then thought of what to do next. "So you go after Captain Gates, my husband, even us as team? Why"

"Illyana wanted revenge for her cousin, and a way to keep you distracted." Nikolai told her as he shifted in the chair and looked at her again. "Your Captain and husband were efforts to open holes wider in your patrol patterns, and divert your attention from the deal."

"You know where they are doing the deal?" Kate asked as she wrote all this down and then looked back up at him.

"No, all I know it's taking someplace in Brooklyn near the water." Nikolai again stated as he shifted in the seat. "Illyana plays things very close to the chest as…"

"Nikolai Vasily, I'm Agent McCord, you are being taken into Federal custody as part of ongoing weapons investigation." McCord said barging into the interrogation room.

"Excuse me Agent McCord, this is my prisoner, and I'm interrogating him according to my duty assignment…." Kate stated but she was cut off.

"Spare me Detective the attempt, this man has key information regarding an arms dealer." McCord snapped at Beckett. She stepped aside to allow two agents to come in and pick up Nikolai and walked him out. McCord then turned to Beckett. "I know he didn't ask for a lawyer, but still you should had one present. You're pushing it Detective; you are a loose cannon, and you have another with one."

Kate slammed her notepad down on the table as McCord walked out with the one decent lead they had in finding Illyana and solving Gates's, DeGarmo's murders, and the attempt on Castle. Hunt appeared in the doorway.

"You know emotion plays a role in daily life, but she is using the emotions you are feeling now against you." Hunt said leaning against the doorframe.

"You want me to be like you or her, not give a crap about anything." Kate replied after taking a breath, but decided not to turn around as she continued to look at the far wall.

"I do care, about Martha, Richard, Alexis, and you." Hunt said coming into the room and sitting on the edge of the table still looking at the back of Kate. "I wanted out back then when I first met Martha, but my handlers pushed me to end it; continue on the mission and I regret every day."

Kate turned around and shot a look towards Hunt. He shrugged it off and continued. "I did everything I could to help them, but my job doesn't require that type of contact."

"I can't do that." Kate said coming over.

"I'm not asking you too. Look at who got around you." Hunt motioned to the glass, the doorway towards the bullpen and the ring on her finger. "They kept you grounded and able to do the mission without compromising your values. That is your greatest strength. Use it."

Kate looked at him for a moment before leaving the interrogation room. She stopped by her desk to gather her keys, phone, and other essential materials and walked with a purpose towards the elevator.

"Beckett, were you going?" Ryan asked running up to the elevator.

"I need to see a writer." Kate responded to the question as the doors closed.

Hunt from the doorway of the interrogation room smiled as he walked out and towards the conference room. "That a girl."

After Kate arrived at the hospital, she strolled with a purpose to her husband's room. He was sitting at a slight elevation looking at a newspaper with the TV on in the background. "I need a crazy theory."

Rick smiled from behind the paper as he began to set it down. "I have plenty of those, but I don't know how useful I can be from here."

Kate filled him on what she had learned up till Agent McCord interrupted her interrogation. "I was this close to get him on giving me Illyana's location."

"We couldn't find her, because she probably has multiple locations she could stay at." Rick said to his wife's statements. He looked at his wife who was sitting down in a chair and smiled at her. "I may a theory?"

"I'm all ears babe." Kate said getting up from the chair coming over to her husband's bedside.

Rick grimaced as he moved a little bit. He took her hand and looked at her. "For Illyana she wouldn't risk flying commercial, because you can track those flights, but like any private aircraft, you still have to file a flight plan with the FAA."

"So?" Kate asked as she felt her husband's thumb run over the top of her hand. She smiled a little bit.

"If she is picking up at arms dealer, she would have to fly back into the airport she flew out of." Rick told her as he looked at his wife. He motioned for the pad of paper on the table next to the bed. She handed it to him. He wrote something down and handed it to her. "US Customs for private aircraft."

"Since she would use a private aircraft, there may not be a passenger manifest." Kate said to her husband as she read the note. She leaned over and kissed him. "Keep a phone handy, because I might need you."

"Like I'm going anywhere." Castle responded to Kate's request with smile and a small laugh. Kate lightly slapped him on the arm.

Kate kissed him one more time, before she left to head back to the precinct. She walked back on into the bullpen after being gone about a hour and half. She set her stuff down as she went to the conference room where Hunt, Ryan and Esposito were discussing possible locations of the deal.

"Let's put the deal on the backburner for a moment." Kate said taking a seat at the head of the table. She looked around the table before speaking. "I spoke to Castle, and he thinks Illyana may not be here in the US, but she may be picking up the arms dealer."

"Her name would appear on any flight manifest." Esposito said leaning forward and looking down the table at Kate.

"Not if she flew private aircraft." Hunt replied also leaning forward in his chair. He looked at Kate. He thought of his next words carefully. "Private aircraft has to follow the same procedures as commercial flights but with Illyana she may have found a way around CBP. But the pilot would have to file a flight plan with departure and arrival airports.

"Exactly right, and Castle said even in private flights, Customs would still have to check private flights coming in from overseas." Kate told her team with a nod. She looked at Ryan. "Check with airfields and surveillance footage to see if you can find her leaving from any airport."

"Got it." Ryan made a note on a piece of paper and got up from the table and started to leave the room.

"I call some of my contacts in Europe to see if she is over there." Hunt said pulling out his phone as began to thumb through some of his contacts.

"Espo, you and I are going to dive back into the murder of DeGarmo's murder and the surveillance footage, along with the footage from the hit on Gates and the attempt on Castle." Kate told Esposito who nodded.

"Hey, we may have bigger problems." Ryan said walking into the room after only a problem.

"What is that?" Esposito asked turning around.

"Beckett's old pals locked out of the system." Ryan said as looks of shock came across the trio at the table. "We're blind."

===========I am glad everyone is enjoying the story. Please keep the reviews coming, and there will be another confrontation coming between Beckett and McCord=========================================================================


	5. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4: Rat Trap**

"Ryan are you sure that you didn't lock yourself out of the system?" Kate asked as she logged into her computer. She brought up the program that the NYPD uses to pull information on people. She logged herself in and tried to run a search for Illyana Volkov, but in turn found herself locked out in the system. "Espso try to run…."

"Already did Beckett, I am locked out too." Esposito replied to the statement as he got up from the computer. He looked over at Hunt. "How is that McCord can come in here, grab our prisoner, and walk out, and lock us out of the system?"

"We may be point, but she still has the authority to run her own investigation, so she can come and grab any prisoner that she feels may help her investigation. She doesn't have to notify anyone she doing it either." Hunt told them from where he was standing. He walked on over to Kate's computer and looked at the code that was displayed. "By the way, you guys really need a refresher course on your codes for search blockages. That's not a federal code."

"What?" Ryan asked as he looked at his screen where the information that told him of his of his search to look up Illyana Volkov was not authorized.

"All federal case codes, even in the CIA use a lettering system when identifying cases." Hunt replied as he pointed at the screen as Ryan and Esposito came around and looked at the screen. Hunt stood straight up. "But I can find out who did put the block on."

He pulled out his cell phone and dialed a number. Although they couldn't hear the other end, the other person must have asked Hunt to identify himself. "Identification number 115185-Alpah."

"Beckett?" Ryan asked as he turned around.

"Don't look at me, all I ever got was my Federal Identification." Beckett replied with the same curiosity.

"I need an identity of who issued a system lock code with the identifier of 56080N." Hunt said into his phone. He listened for a moment and then gave the IP address for Kate's computer. After a couple of minutes he received his answer. "Thank you. The code came from One Police Plaza, Information technology department but order came from the Deputy Chief of Investigations."

"Chief Jameson? One of the most decorated cops in the city." Esposito said with a look on disbelief on his face. He looked at everyone. "I can't believe it."

"No way could it be him." Ryan also interjected into the conversation. He looked at Beckett. "He is rumored to be the next commissioner."

"Great men often have been seduced by great power and money." Hunt told the group who looked at him. He looked at Kate. "This has to be handled by someone with tact and diplomacy."

Kate smiled as she nodded and printed out a screen shot of the computer. She, Ryan, Esposito and Hunt moved to the elevator as Kate placed a call to Chief's office. In the twenty minutes it took them to get to One Police Plaza, Kate, Esposito and Ryan knew this was going to be a fine line that they were going to be walking. As the got off the elevator, Hunt hung back a little bit as he let Kate take the lead to talk to the Deputy Chief, as he texted a number. A female sitting in the outer office opened the door to allow them into the Chief's office.

"Detective Beckett, Deputy Chief Jameson." Chief Jameson said getting up from behind the desk to go and shake the hands of Kate, Esposito and Ryan. He then motioned them to a table in the center of his office. "How's your husband doing Detective?"

"He'll make a full recovery sir. Thank you for asking." Kate replied to the question as she took a seat. She waved off the coffee. "Sir, in the course of our investigation as part of our duties with Homeland Security, we tried to run a search for potential subject and this code came up on our computers."

"Well that shouldn't be, since you are temporarily assigned to Homeland security." Chief Jameson answered looking at the printout. He handed it back. "I was with the commissioner when he took the call from the White House. I don't know how this order came about to lock you out of the system."

Kate's phone buzzed with a message from Hunt who had a picture message. She opened it, studied it for a moment and passed it over to the Deputy Chief. "This comes from our temporary assignment sir, the order came from your office about an hour and half ago."

"What?" Chief Jameson answered with surprise as he took the phone. He looked at the picture. "That's impossible Detective, I wasn't here an hour and half ago. I was in a briefing conducted by an agent who is investigating Gates's hit."

"Who sir, could have done it then?" Ryan asked making notes in his notepad.

"Well my assistant Detective Julie Baker was here." Chief Jameson answered as he passed back the phone to Kate. "She was the lady who was in the outer office when you walked in."

Kate, Ryan and Esposito jumped to their feet to go to the outer office when Hunt walked in escorting the young lady by the arm. "I think she was trying to leave a little early."

"Julie?" Chief Jameson asked in shock as Hunt led her to a couch and sat her down.

"Detectives, Chief, I swear I never meant for anything like this to happen." She stated as she started to breakdown.

"Why don't you tell us first how they got to you?" Kate asked coming over and taking the seat opposite of the now fallen detective.

"They have pictures of me cheating on my husband." Julie replied as the tears flowed from her eyes. "It was with a Detective I knew from my time in 6-5 down in Brighton Beach."

"How did they find out about your husband?" Esposito asked her.

"My husband works for the committee of redevelopment." Julie replied as she was handed a tissue by her former boss. "So he was in the paper a lot for new property openings or fundraisers."

"Where did they catch you with your boyfriend?" Ryan asked her as they made notes on what they were being told.

"A restaurant near Brighton and the Best Western in the same area as well." Julie answered the question as a new wave of tears began. She dabbed at her eyes. "The affair last only a couple months, but I received the first photos a within a week of the first time we met."

"How did they know about your job here?" Hunt asked.

"Any time she appeared in the paper, it's generally saying working in my office, but not the actual job description." Chief Jameson told them. "Julie what did you give them?"

"Patrol assignments for all tours and precinct's especially in the Brooklyn area during certain dates, raid information. Yet I don't know how they found out about Detective Johnston." Julie replied to the question.

"Probably had Captain Gates under surveillance." Hunt remarked getting a few nods from everybody. "How did you contact them?"

"Phone number and email, I can give them to you." Julie answered. Ryan handed her a notepad to write it down. "Sir, what's going to happen to me?"

"As of now you are immediately relieved of duties. I have to inform the commissioner." Chief Jameson replied. He then looked at Kate. "Detective, it's your call?"

Kate thought about it for a moment. "I want you to make contact with whoever this is, and let them know that you need to see them, because you have information that you can only deliver in person."

"Detective that will put her at tremendous risk." Chief Jameson told her.

"I know, but maybe we can break this open." Kate told the Chief. She then thought of another thing. "I want only units from the 12th assigned to back us up. NO ESU and no putting this over the airwaves."

"McCord?" Ryan asked with a laugh, then quickly suppressed it.

"I don't want her jumping in and taking this suspect away before I get a chance to get some solid information." Kate replied, and then looked at Chief Jameson. "If that is alright with you sir?"

"I'll delay as long as possible, but can't promise anything." Chief Jameson told Kate who got up and shook his head.

It took roughly two hours for everything to be setup for the operation, but it was in place by 5pm. Julie Baker sent the message that she needed to meet in Brooklyn Bridge Park. Everyone that could have been spared from the 12th was there trying to look inconspicuous. Ryan and Kate played chess at one of the benches on the park while Esposito and a few of the male officers were playing football. Julie waited by the pathway near the river. Kate could tell she was nervous.

"Relax Julie, as soon as you give the signal we'll move in." Kate said into the microphone as she made a move on the checkboard. The signal would be that Julie would remove her hands from the railing and wipe them on the hankerchief in her pockets. "Check."

"Tango approaching Julie from her 9 o'clock. He could our guy." Hunt reported over the air. He took up position as a fisherman within a few meters of Julie.

The man walked up next to Julie who was looking across the river at the island of Manhattan. "We told you not to meet us in person unless it was important."

"I have to shut down the information flow for the next few days." Julie told her contact. She put her hands on the railing. "The feds are going to look into everyone's email, phone, download, and finaical history."

"If you were careful like we instructed you too, you'll pass easily." The man told her as he looked across the river at the city as well. "Yet you try to save your own skin, we'll give your husband the photos before we kill him."

"Easy Julie, remember the plan." Kate said into the microphone trying to reassure the nervous Julie.

"I should be one of the first ones that they look into since I work in an important part of headquarters." Julie told the man. She looked at him. "Why is what I do so important to you anyway?"

"All you need to know is that your work has allowed our products to flow uninterrupted out of the country." The man said to her as he continued to look out across the river to the city. Julie took the hankerchief out of her pocket and wiped her hands.

"That's the signal go, go." Hunt said as the signal was given. About 20 people converged on the area.

"NYPD don't move." They all screamed.

"You little bitch. Your dead, your husband's dead." The man scream as Hunt tackled the man to the ground as Kate gathered up Julie and passed her over to an officer who took her away from the area.

"Put her with her husband in protective custody." Kate ordered as the man was brought to his feet. Kate recognized him. "It's the passenger from…"

"The surveillance footage." Esposito replied as the cuffs were slapped on the man.

"How's your husband doing detective? He may not be lucky next time." The man said with a smirk on his face.

"You son of a bitch." Kate replied but it took Ryan, Esposito and a couple of other officers to hold her back from attacking the man.

Hunt took the man's wallet out of the back pocket and opened it up to pull out the id. "Say hello Anton Rusev out of Brighton Beach."

"Bring him back to the 12th." Kate ordered as she walked away to gather her composure.

"Anton Rusev you have the right to remain silence…" Esposito started to say as the lead him from the area.

================================Hopefully this answers some peoples questions about the reasons McCord can interject herself in to the investigation, as well as answering the mole question. Please keep the reviews coming folks. Thank you.===============================


	6. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5: Breakthrough**

"That guy had big brass ones taunting Beckett like that." Esposito stated as he looked into the interrogation room from the observation room. "We should have let her hit him."

"Yeah, I don't think any cop there would have turn her in." Ryan replied as he looked over the transcript from the meeting. He also looked at Anton's criminal background. "This guy's been in the system since he was 13. Theft, assault, DUI, burglary, drug possession, intent to sell." \

"Well we can add murder and attempted murder to the list." Kate stated coming into the observation room. She saw Anton just sitting there smugly looking at the glass. "Ehanced photo's comfirm it's him."

"So we got him for Gates's murder and the attempt on Castle." Esposito stated looking at Kate. Then he looked back through the glass. "How do you want to handle it?"

"She's not handling it. I am." Hunt stated coming into the room. He looked at the trio. "Ryan, Esposito will come in with me. That will make the questioning legal. Kate sit this one out."

"I can handle it." Kate told him as she came face to face with him. "I won't let him get to me."

"It took five people to hold you back Kate at the park." Hunt told her. He sidestepped her and looked into the room. "This guy has a breaking point, they all do. And if you are in there, you won't get to it, because he won't let you. Trust me. Go see Rick, and take a break for a little bit."

Ryan looked at Kate, then through the window. "He's right Beckett. This guy will just play with you until you break."

"Esposito?" Kate asked looking at him as he stared through the glass.

"I would to see you get his hands on him, but they're right." Esposito said to Kate as he looked at her. He went over close to her. "He'll play with your emotions. Go see Castle, we've got this."

Kate looked across the room before nodding. She knew they were right. She nodded and left the observation room. She went to her desk and gathered her stuff before leaving the precinct to go to the hospital.

Inside the observation room, Esposito, Ryan and Hunt stared through the glass for a moment. Then the silence was broken. "How you going to do this?"

Hunt looked over at Ryan who made the comment. He held up a file. "Photos from my end, your investigation, as well as intel that can be used. But we are going to let him stew for a moment."

"What about his lawyer?" Esposito asked while still looking into the room.

"On the way." Hunt replied to the question. He looked at the duo. "However, he waived his rights as we brought him in."

"Because he thought he was getting Kate." Ryan stated with a smile. He nodded and turned around. "You ready?"

"Oh yeah. This will be fun." Hunt replied to the question as he led the duo out of the observation room and into the interrogation room. "Anton, how are you doing?"

"Where is the attractive detective at?" Anton asked seeing the three of them come in. He shifted in his seat.

"Oh you mean Detective Beckett; she is visiting her husband in the hospital." Ryan stated as he took a seat across from Anton. "You know the guy you fired over a dozen automatic rifle rounds at."

"Yeah, the man who is also a friend of ours." Esposito also added into the converstation. He nodded to Hunt who passed over the file. Esposito opened up the folder and pulled out the surveillance camera photos. He laid them out. "You see this is you in the front seat of a SUV after you murdered Captain Gates, and this is you as you fired rounds at Beckett's husband and our friend."

"So, I will never face jail time for it." Anton boasted with a smirk on his face. He then looked at Hunt. "You can never prove any of this."

"True, the gun is probably scrap medal by now, but not this." Hunt said pulling out a photo from the file and laid it out on the table. "This is you with Illyana with an arms dealer in Switzerland from last year. I'm assuming you were providing security. Yet this arms dealer sells the guns you guys sell him to terrorist."

"This means you're aiding international terrorists." Ryan said with a smile on his face

"Do you know what this means man?" Esposito asked leaning forward over the table and close to Anton. "I can turn you over to my friend here to be taken into Federal custody, who in turn will take you to a prison that may not be here in the United States."

"You can't do that. I was born here." Anton stated now with a bit of fear in his voice.

"You know you're right I can't, but my boss can." Hunt answered. He then pulled out his phone and laid it on the table so he can look at the number that Hunt brought up. "That is the Oval Office direct line. I can call him, and have your citizenship stripped within an hour. Then I can take you to any site I deem."

"Dude I would listen to him, I heard about some of these sites. Not exactly the tropical paradise that Gitmo is." Esposito also stated as he leaned back into the chair across from Anton. He stared at him for a minute. "So save your skin and give us something?"

"Then you can face charges of murder, attempted murder, numerous of federal gun charges, blackmail and extortion, oh yeah and aiding terrorist here in a regular federal court." Ryan stated now as he leaned forward in his chair. "All you would face is life in prison without parole, instead of life of intense questioning and enhance interrogation techniques."

"You're bluffing." Anton said in defiance. He smirked at the trio. "I don't think you have the guts.

Hunt didn't respond. He picked up the phone and hit the number. He put the phone on speaker.  
"Oval Office, Katie Johnson."

"Katie, this is Agent Hunt, may I speak with the President please?" Hunt said into the phone.

"One second Agent Hunt, he's on the direct line to our ambassador to China." The Presidential Sectary stated.

"Hold it." Anton stated now with his eyes wide with fear. He called the bluff and lost.

"Katie, I'll call back." Hunt said into the phone once he took it off speaker. "You were saying Anton?"

"What would you like to know?" Anton asked as he said shifting to in his seat. He looked at the group.

"First of all who shot the security guard?" Hunt asked pulling out a photo of the Mr. DeGarmo and laying it out on the table.

"I did, Nikolai arranged it to bring you guys out." Anton replied as he looked at the picture. He pushed it back towards Hunt. "It was Illyana's idea. Get the cops distracted by looking at a corrupt team, but she didn't count on the writer being good at investigations."

"Thanks a lot." Ryan and Esposito said at the same time which drew a small smile from Hunt.

"So right before she left, if we took out the head, and the heart, it would distract the police long enough to complete the deal." Anton stated as Ryan made notes of all this.

"Where did she go?" Hunt asked him getting up out of the chair and walking close to Anton. "Lie to me and you're gone."

"She flew to Europe to meet the arms dealer to complete the deal." Anton stated as he turned to face Hunt. He then turned to Esposito and Ryan. "She's flying back tonight to an airport just outside the city. Then tomorrow night, she is going to supervise the loading of the arms on to a freighter for the destination."

"Did she tell you where?" Ryan asked writing all this down on the notepad.

"No not even the time. She would call us when she is ready to go." Anton said leaning back now in the chair. He looked around the room and his eyes ended up on Hunt. "What are you going to do to me now?"

"Hold on to you for the time being." Hunt said getting off the table and motioning for Ryan and Esposito to follow him outside and back into the observation room. "What you think?"

"You think he knows who the arms dealer is" Ryan asked getting a shake of the head. "He looked scared when you dialed the number and spoke to that agent. I believe him."

"So do I." Esposito stated looking into the room. He then looked at Hunt. "That was a nice move calling the agency to have an agent play the presidential sectary."

"That was the Presidential sectary." Hunt answered with a smile as he walked out of the observation room to check on the whereabouts of Illyana as Ryan and Esposito looked on in shock.

While Esposito, Ryan and Hunt were interrogating Anton, Kate was walking into her husband's room at the hospital. Rick looked up from his computer as he heard the footsteps. He smiled at the sight of his wife.

"Hey I thought you be off saving the world for democracy." Rick said with a smile on his face. It quickly disappeared when he saw the look on his wife's face. "Kate what is wrong?"

"We caught the guy that was part of the team that killed Captain Gates, and shot you." Kate answered pulling up a chair next to his bed. She took his hand in hers. "Yet he got to me when we arrested him."

She told him everything; how they discovered the mole, set up the operation, and what happened prior to her coming to the hospital. "I don't know if I can handle doing this any more babe."

"Being a cop or the case?" Rick asked as he used his thumb to stroke over her hand. He his free hand had the IV running into it and he didn't want to risk pulling it out if he moved it further than he had to.

"Both, neither, I don't know." She replied to the question. She was close enough that she put her head on her husband's shoulder. "And with McCord hanging over this like a bad cloud, I just got a feeling like we are never going to get anywhere."

"You're the best in the department, and Hunt wanted you for some reason." Rick told him as he placed his chin on the top of her head. He heard her chuckle. "I remember one thing you told me when we first met."

"Yeah what's that?" Kate asked as she felt comfortable in the warmth of his presence.

"It's about getting justice for the victim." Rick told her. He felt her relax as she slowly got up and looked at him. He nodded.

"I love you." Kate told him. She lightly kissed him on the lips, and then placed her head back on his shoulder. She looked around the room. "Where's Alexis and Martha?"

"Out to lunch. Mother said the food here is abysmal" Rick stated with a laugh which got Kate laughing a little bit. "But thanks to Alexis for bringing me my computer or otherwise I would be bored."

"You're supposed to be resting babe." Kate answered, turning her head to try to look her husband in the face. She looked at the screen. "What are you doing looking a newspaper article from seven months ago?"

"When you guys told me about McCord I got curious and started to look for anything dealing with her team." Rick answered as he brought up the computer closer so she can see it. "From what you told me everything is making sense now. McCord's team seven months ago was under congressional investigation for the deaths of 6 members of a Navy Seal Team and one Federal Agent on a mission in the Middle East."

"Yeah I remember that. The intel was old, so the Seals missed the bad guys, but on the way out they were shot down." Kate stated while looking at the article. She scrolled through it. "A couple months later congress cleared them."

"Yeah I know, but I read over the document from the investigation. The mission was launched with intel provided by McCord's team." Rick said as he brought up the PDF of the Congressional Inquiry into the failed mission and subseqentional downing of a US helicopter. "This doesn't tell you names of the fallen Seals or the agent, but I called a friend of mine down in DC who was able to get me the names that were left out of the report because everyone agreed it wasn't for the best"

"Oh Castle don't tell me you contacted the families?" Kate asked shooting her head to look at Rick.

"No I didn't, but I was able to find one name that stood out." Rick told her. He brought up an article from a Washington D.C. paper. "Navy Seal Lt. Cmdr. Adam McCord was buried today in Arlington National Cemetery. Lt. Cmdr. McCord was killed while engaging combat operations against ISIS forces in the Middle East."

"Husband?" Kate asked.

"Brother." Rick replied as he brought up a photo of a clearly distressed Agent Rachel McCord accepting her brothers flag. "I think she is using her assignment to get revenge."

++++++++++++++Please Keep the reviews coming folks.+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++


	7. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6: Breaking point**

Kate walked back on into the bullpen noticing that Ryan and Esposito were on their computers conducting some sort of search for Illyana. Hunt was in the conference room on his own computer that she couldn't tell what was on it. She walked into the conference room and shut the door loud enough to have Hunt look up from his computer.

"I want the truth Hunt." Kate said walking over to the table and placing her hands on it. She looked at him directly in the face. "Did you know about McCord's brother and the real reason she is on this case."

"I knew about her brother yes, but I was informed that she passed all the necessary test to remain on duty." Hunt told her leaning back in the chair. He eyed her for a moment before continuing. "Besides her team didn't run the operation, DOD did, with a member from her office attached."

"Come on Hunt, you know and I know if you can put on a good front and answer the questions right, you can be cleared." Kate replied standing straight up and put her hands on her hips. She sized him up for a moment. "There should be no reason she should be working this case."

"I have my orders. Until she proves otherwise, she is allowed to conduct her team's investigation, while we conduct ours." Hunt said scooting back towards the table and his computer.

Before Kate could reply, there was a knock on the door, and Ryan poked his head in. "We found something."

Kate and Hunt walked out of the conference room and over to where Ryan was sitting at his computer. Kate, Hunt, and Esposito gathered around. "We were searching for Illyana and any private flight she may have taken out of the country."

"Yeah, our boy Anton says to Europe somewhere." Esposito answered as he looked at the screen.

"Well, I checked with the FAA in the past few days to see which private aircraft filed flight plans to Europe." Ryan said as he clicked on the link. More than a dozen showed up on the screen. "Of the 16 here, most are corporate jets that carry CEO's and such. These 3 are privately owned aircraft."

"Let's see, that one is a movie star, that one is a successful producer." Kate said as she looked at the number of the last aircraft and the name. "Volkov Investments Inc. That was Illyana's company in Paris."

"Ryan where did she fly to?" Hunt asked as he pulled out his phone.

"Switzerland." Ryan replied to the question.

They saw Hunt call into his phone and speak German into it. He listen to the reply and acknowledged it and hung up. "That was a contact of mine, he's going to see what he can find out."

"How long did he say it would take?" Ryan asked as he closed the screen down on his computer.

"About an hour." Hunt replied. They all nodded and moved about to go back looking for any evidence on where the deal may take place.

Kate stood in front of the murder board and began to update with critical information as she looked over everything. Things were starting to piece together now. She stared at it wondering what could be the crucial piece that would break this thing wide open. Hunt came out of the conference room to stand next to her.

"You know you have been staring at the thing for the last 20 minutes." Hunt said to Kate with a smile on his face. He looked at the board too. "You know it's not always what you see in front of you that provides the information, sometimes it's between the lines that provide a crucial piece of information."

"I know that." Kate replied as she continued to stare at the board. She closed her eyes for a second wishing Castle was there to help and try make sense of all this. "Castle would often crack a joke, or look at the board and find one thing we overlook."

"Sounds like him." Hunt stated as he started to walk away and back to the conference room. He spun around for a moment to look at Kate. "For guys in my line of work, it's not always about what we see, and know, but instead of what we don't see and know."

Kate shot him a look, then went back to the murder board. Something about Hunt's words stuck with her. She picked up a folder off her desk and began to thumb through it. "Ryan, that jet that we assumed flew Illyana to Switzerland. They have to send bills somewhere right?"

"Yeah either to financial holding company or a business address." Ryan replied. Then he realized what track Kate was going on, and began to type something into his computer. Yet before Ryan could answer, a familiar face came storming into the bullpen.

"Beckett, you hijack my investigation, and put into protective custody the one person that could led me to Volkov." McCord said angrily as she walked to get into Kate's face. "Then you arrest the person who could give me critical information that would also help break this case wide open."

"Don't give me that crap McCord." Beckett replied angrily back as she now got into McCord's face. A small crowd was starting to gather in the bullpen. "You been pushing us aside to fit your own personal vendetta."

"Oh I see you been playing with the conspiracy theorist husband of yours again." McCord stated as she threw up her hands and spun around as in mockery. "I passed my psych exams Beckett. Maybe you should see one, and get your husband check out as well."

"Oh yeah, lets recap because my husband is generally right." Kate said as she pulled out a stack of printouts that she was able to convince the nursing staff to let her print. "Your investigation into this arms sale led to intelligence stating that arms sold by an arms dealer to an ISIS cell in Northern Syria. You were able to convince the military to launch a raid in hopes to capture a cell leader to lead you back to Illyana."

"That's not out of the ordinary Beckett. What's your point?" McCord asked not realizing the track that Beckett was on.

"Yet when the intel was passed on, the cell moved, and the raid was launched 24 hours too late." Beckett told her as she set the papers down on the desk. She then went face to face to McCord. "On the way out of the area, their helicopters came under ground fire and your brother's was shot down and a number of his team including him, and an agent assigned to your team was killed. And after you buried your brother, you made it your personal mission to avenge him because of your intelligence screw up and not realizing that those cell members wouldn't stay there. Maybe you should have turned it over to someone who could remain objective."

McCord didn't say anything this time, but instead of walking out and lodging a complaint to the commissioner, she took a swing at Beckett. Kate was able to block it, and take McCord down in an arm bar on top of her desk. Ryan came over with cuffs as Kate brought McCord's other arm behind her. "Agent Rachel McCord, you are under arrest for attempted assault on a police officer."

As Ryan snapped on the cuffs, McCord shouted out. "The charges will never stick. I'll be out in an hour."

"I don't think so McCord, I saw everything." Hunt stated coming out of the conference room pressing the screen on his phone. "I just got off the phone with the President, and until a investigation and personnel evaluation is complete you and your team are sideline. Detective she is all yours."

Ryan and Beckett stood McCord onto her feet and stared face to face with her. "It's not just about your brother McCord, it's about everybody."

Kate passed off McCord to a smiling officer. "Put her in lockup and lose the paperwork for 24 hours."

Hunt came over to stand next to Beckett as the officer led a shocked McCord down to lockup. "You goaded her into that didn't you?"

"No she just needed to be put her in place. Rick did to me a couple years ago when I really got into investigating my mom's murder." Kate said as the elevator door's closed. She then looked at Hunt. "Because he walked away not wanting to see me kill myself and what it would it do to him. Then it took me hanging off the side of a building for me to realize what I really wanted to go after.

Kate held up her hand with her wedding band on her finger. Hunt smiled and looked at her. "But you knew beforehand what you wanted."

She nodded. "Yep, but it took that incident to realize it."

Ryan came up interrupting them. He heard the small conversation, so he had a smile on his face. He walked in between Hunt and Kate. "Got that address. It's a PO Box located in Brighton Beach."

"So that is a big fat nothing then." Hunt stated as he looked at the paper.

"Not necessarily." Esposito replied to the statement as he came over now. He pulled out his notepad and flipped to the pages. "I talked to the manager there, he says only three people are authorized to pick up mail from that box. I gave descriptions to the man of Illyana, Nikolai and Anton. All three match."

"Well that makes Anton a little bit more important than a simple bodyguard then." Hunt said as Ryan handed him the information that they had learned. "Let's talk to him again."

"Well before you do, I was able to talk the manager to get the billing address." Esposito told them handing over a piece of paper. "It's a small apartment in Brighton Beach."

The team gathered their belongings and raced out of the precinct towards the address that was given to them. As soon as they arrived the quickly moved to the apartment and knocked. "NYPD."

When there was no answer, Esposito kicked the door opened and a second after Beckett led everyone into the apartment. It was a small one bedroom that was quickly cleared. Beckett holstered her weapon. "Let's tear this place a part to find something telling us where this deal is going down."

As they began searching the apartment, Hunt's phone rang which he answered and spoke in German. After listening to the reply he thanked the person in German. "Illyana was there in Switzerland, till this morning our time. She's on the way back. Landing at Tetterbourgh tonight."

"Well so far all I see is a lot of nothing." Ryan said after checking all the obvious hiding spots.

"I got something." Esposito replied pulling a flash drive from behind the nightstand.

Hunt looked under the fridge and pulled a sealed airtight bag that had been secured to the bottom of the fridge. "Love it when old habits don't die."

Kate came over and looked at it. "Shipping invoices?"

"Probably, but we'll get it to my folks for interpretation." Hunt replied. He looked to Ryan. "Who rents this place?"

"Volkov Investments." Ryan replied with a no emotion as he continued to check apartment. He opened the closet. "Whoa. Guys you have to see this."

Hunt, Kate came into the room as Esposito turned around and stood in shock at the closet. Instead of clothes, there were rifles, pistols and on the doors were photos of the team.

"Well I'm guessing this is where the team that killed Captain Gates, her friend, and tried to kill Castle hangs out." Esposito answered as he walked over to the closet.

"Ryan call ESU and have them process this entire apartment." Kate told Ryan who nodded as he pulled out his phone.

"Beckett, you have to look at this." Esposito called to Kate who came over as Esposito pulled a picture of the door. It was of a Kate walking into Bellevue Hospital just that day. Her jaw nearly fell through the floor.

==================================The case will be coming to a climax soon folks.======================================


	8. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7: Takedown**

Anton was sitting in the interrogation room the next morning, when Kate and Hunt walked with a purpose. He looked up at the both of them. "Detective, Agent, what can I do for you now?"

"Who took this photo Anton; because I have the paper work waiting for the President's signature and a jet waiting for me a private airfield." Hunt told Anton as Kate put the photo of her in front of him.

"Sergei Vlaskoff handles all surveillance for Illyana, and also drives for her too." Anton said pushing the picture back away from him. He saw the looks of Kate and Hunt wanting more from him. "He spent a couple years with FSB with their counter surveillance, and security before he was discharged for corruption."

"Then how come he didn't go her to Switzerland?" Kate asked taking a seat in the chair.

"Illyana didn't want to attract too much attention when she meets with our arms dealer. She wanted to make it look like a regular business meeting" Anton replied. He then looked at Hunt and Kate. "What about that paperwork and jet?"

"You saved your neck again." Hunt said walking away from the table and out the door with Kate behind him. He waited for the door to close. "He's not stupid, and he is worried about a black site trip so he was willing to give up who took the photo."

"Yeah, too bad it would get thrown out in court." Kate remarked as she walked towards her desk when she thought of something. "It would get thrown out wouldn't it?"

"I'm going to check my email to see if my people have finished looking at those papers we found yesterday." Hunt replied with a smile as he walked into the conference room.

Kate stood there for a moment, but decided not to press the subject, so she went to her desk. There she found Ryan waiting. "What did you find out Ryan?"

"That flash drive that Esposito found was an electronic backup to the paperwork we found." Ryan stated as he looked at the notes. He then set a printout on his desk. "Also a list of properties that were purchased through a dummy corporation but linked back to Volkov Investments."

"Get a warrant and have ESU check them out." Kate told Ryan who nodded and walked towards his desk. She put her head in hands. She didn't sleep well in the chair in Castle's room, and going back to the loft to change and shower before coming to work didn't loosen up her tight muscles any either. "Esposito where are we on those weapons that we found?"

"Lab ran them, don't match any open homicides, but ran the serial numbers came back to Interpol alert for a batch that was stolen from a Russian Army base a couple years ago." Esposito replied handing over a printout to Kate who stared at it for a moment. "The weapons were meant to go to Iran as part of an arms deal."

"Got to love international arms trades despite sanctions." Hunt answered coming out from the conference room and over towards Kate's desk. He handed her a summary of what was learned. "Those are definitely shipping invoices. A lot of these weapons were purchased legally through a company called Greg's rifle and gun ranges but it's a subsidiary of Volkov investments."

"So the weapons are purchased legally, which means they go through all the checks necessary for that large of a purchase." Kate replied getting up and posting it to the board. She then turns and looks at the team. "Then she brings the weapons here to New York where she uses slave labor or cheap labor to convert them to fully automatic rifles or package up the pistols."

"That makes sense, so Illyana gets an order from the arms dealer, orders up a purchase through this dummy gun and rifle ranges." Esposito stated getting nods from Kate and Hunt. He then looked at the board. "Where would they convert these weapons?"

"Ryan, bring that list of properties that you said were purchased." Kate said as Ryan got off the phone and brought them over. She looked over the list and went to her computer to bring up a map. She typed up all the addresses. "These places are all over the city."

"Very smart, keeps the assets separated and doesn't shut down production." Hunt stated as he looked at the map. He pointed to one on the screen. "That one is closest to us."

"Warrants for all places listed are the way, which one do you want them to meet us at?" Ryan asked Kate who was still looking at the screen.

"The one that is closet to us." Kate replied, getting up and grabbing her stuff. She looked at Ryan who was doing the same. "Ryan email this stuff to Castle, maybe he can help us out by finding something we may have missed."

Ryan nodded as he handed off the paperwork to a uniform to scan and email to Castle. Hunt looked at Kate as they waited for the elevator. "Thought you wanted him to rest?"

"He's bored out his mind so I am trying to keep him from driving the nursing staff nuts, and I don't know, he maybe actually useful." Kate replied with a smile and a laugh as the doors opened. "After all he is ruggedly handsome and smart."

Hunt laughed as Ryan and Esposito caught up to them and boarded the elevator. Esposito looked at Kate. "ESU will meet us there. What about Castle, and what are you doing about the picture?"

"I asked for extra police protection at the hospital, inside the room and outside the room." Kate replied to the question. She was just as worried as they were, but solving this would end the threat. "Alexis and Martha also have protection too. I'm with you guys, so I'm safe."

Everyone nodded as the doors closed. It took them 20 minutes before they arrived at the site. It was old warehouse that was purchased by Volkov Investment group. ESU banged opened the door and they poured into the room. The warehouse had long rows of tables set up in the middle of them, and packaging from conversion kits and the greased cover packing from weapons. "Clear."

Hunt went over and looked at the packing on the table. He picked looked around and saw a cigarette butt on the ground and motioned over the trio. "This is hasn't been here long. Maybe since last night."

"So we just missed them maybe." Esposito stated as he looked at some of the trash on the tables. He picked up on packing for a conversion kit. "This is for an AR-15."

"ESU found a couple on the table for AK's, Uzi's." Ryan also added in as he held up the evidence bags.

Before anyone could add in, Kate's phone rang, and she looked at the caller ID. "Hey Castle, now's not a good time."

"I was looking over the stuff you sent me, just to get an idea of where or when you may want to look." Castle said into his phone from his now heavily protected hospital room. "Volkov investments doesn't own any pier space, but you can lease areas within the city. They lease a space on the Red Hook Container Terminal."

"You have to pass customs inspections to get anything on board ships Castle?" Esposito stated as they heard what Castle had said.

"True, but they probably bribed some customs agent or dock worker to forge the reports." Ryan added in.

"Castle, did they mention anything about a ship or freighter?" Hunt now asked into the phone as they stood around, while ESU milled about waiting for their next orders.

"There is a freighter name Kamenev scheduled to depart Red Hook at 6 tonight." Castle reported as he looked at the information he had received while they were enroute to the warehouse.

"This is Agent Hunt, Identification number 115185-Alpah, I need any surveillance assets, satellite or UAV to provide air intelligence at the Red Hook Container Terminal." Hunt said into his phone just a few moments after Castle told them about the ship. "I also need the Coast Guard to stop the departure of a ship called the Kamenev with possible weapons destined for terrorist on board."

"Thanks babe, stay safe. Love you" Kate said to her husband.

"Love you too. You stay safe." Castle said disconnecting the call.

Kate looked at Ryan who was already on the phone, and giving her the thumbs up as a warrant had been approved by the court that was assigned to this investigation. She looked at the ESU commander. "Load them up Sergeant, we're heading to Brooklyn."

The ESU commander acknowledge the order and yelled at his team and they began to trot outside as the crime scene folks arrived to begin processing the scene. Even with lights blazing, it took the small convoy another 25 minutes to arrive at the Gate of Red Hook Container Terminal. Kate got out and held up a photo to the security guard. "You see her, maybe with others here?"

The security guard looked at the picture closely and nodded. "Yes ma'am, about her and 30 others are at the northern end of the terminal by the Freighter Kamenev."

"Thank you." Kate replied as the guard opened up the gate and allowed the small convoy to come in. Another ESU van had met them near the terminal before they had arrived and joined the procession. Kate pulled the car into a stop near some containers to hide them from view.

As everyone pile out of the vehicles, Hunt held up what look like a tablet that had been attached to the side of his vest. He held it up. "Alright folks, Coast Guard has delayed the Kamenev citing a vessel distress in the channel. We also have a predator overhead providing us real time intelligence."

"How did you get around the invasion of privacy?" Ryan asked as he adjusted his vest.

"National security dog. Weapons going to terrorist so invasion of privacy gets tossed aside." Esposito mentioned as he checked his weapons.

"Actually as long as we are going after our targets, and nothing else, it's legal." Hunt stated as he set the IPad on the roof of the car. The group and ESU commander gathered around the car. "These containers here will shield us from their view till about here."

"We have harbor patrol that will come in as soon as we move towards them." The ESU commander mentioned as he pointed to the screen.

Hunt, and Kate nodded at each other. Kate held up a photo. "We need her alive, along with as many as possible."

"This guy right here is the arms dealer, I need him alive." Hunt told the group passing around the photo. "It's a matter of national security."

Everyone nodded and they began to move out towards the area where Illyana and her group were located. As soon as they reached the containers, they split up into two teams. Each taking the separate routes that they noticed in the predator footage. They reached the end of the containers and Kate did a quick peek around the corner. She saw the group about 50 yards away. Most of what can be described as security was arranged in a semi-circle while others were close by to Illyana and the arms dealer. Kate turned to Hunt and pointed to her eyes and behind her. Hunt nodded and chambered around. Kate keyed her mic. "Hit in 3, 2, 1, now."

The group burst out from the safety of the shelter of the containers. "NYPD Freeze."

Yet as soon as the Russians noticed the large group of cops coming at them, they started to raise their weapons and fire at the cops which got the cops returning fire. A number of Russians were dropped right away as the rest continued to return fire, but they were starting to lose numbers due to the superior marksmen ship of the ESU members, along with Kate, Ryan, Esposito and Hunt. Illyana and her arms dealer made a break with Sergei towards a black Lincoln Navigator nearby. Hunt, and Kate noticed this and started to run after them, behind the wall of police fire. It was a race, in which Illyana and her small group had a head start, but they had to driver a pretty good distance to get to a gate. Yet as they reached the SUV, they had to slow down a bit to get in, and this allowed Kate and Hunt to gain some valuable ground. As the SUV started to pull away, Hunt and Kate fired rounds at the side of the SUV and tires, which shredded two on the passenger sides and causing the SUV to slam into the side of a container. Hunt and Kate rushed over and pulled open the passenger door.

"Illyana Volkov you're under arrest for murder, attempted murder, extortation, and blackmail, arms trafficking, and aiding international terrorists." Kate said as she slapped the cuffs on Illyana Volkov. She stood her up and looked at her. "Just answer me this why?"

"Come on detective, family is everything for a Russian, but also so is making money, that is important to me." Illyana stated as she smirked. She looked at her arms dealer friend, despite a round through his arm, he was ok. "Two bird's one stone. Revenge and make a fortune selling weapons. If it cost you someone you loved dearly, then so much better."

Kate wanted to slap her, or pull out her pistol and put a round into her forehead and end it. But as Hunt came around, Kate pushed Illyana towards her. "She's all yours Agent Hunt."

"FBI, hmmph, what makes you think I'll see trial." Illyana scoffed.

"Not FBI Illyana, a little government agency known as the CIA." Hunt replied to the scoff. Illyana and her arms dealer turned their heads. "We are going to have a nice little chat."

"You can't, I'm American." Illyana said in higher tone.

"Maybe for the next couple hours you will be." Hunt said as passed over the two of them to a man who seemed to appear out of nowhere. Hunt walked over to Kate. "Take care of Rick."

"I will." Kate answered as she gave a kiss to Hunt on the cheek. She turned as she heard the noise of squad cars coming towards her, along with Ryan and Esposito with a couple of ESU tagging along. She turned back around to find Hunt was gone.

"Another disappearing act huh?" Ryan asked as he got up to her.

"Yep with what he came for." Kate replied as she came around to see that Sergei was stirring after being knocked out during the crash. "Cuff him Ryan."

Ryan nodded as Kate walked away from the SUV and back towards her car. An hour later after being released from their temporary assignment and receiving congratulations from the high brass from One Police Plaza, she made her way to Bellevue. After arriving at the floor, she walked into her husband's room, which still had a policemen standing guard outside, and saw Rick talking to Martha and Alexis.

"Kate dear, we just saw the news congratulations." Martha said beaming with huge smile.

"We are proud of you Kate." Alexis also stated with another smile.

"I agree with them Kate. I love you." Rick agreed with his daughter and mother. Then he saw the look on Kate's face. "Babe what's wrong?"

Kate busted a smile as tears came. She rushed over and gave Rick the deepest kiss she has ever given him as Martha and Alexis looked on with tears in their eyes as well.

==========================================A epilogue is coming folks for this story. Thank you everyone for the reviews.========================


	9. Epilogue

**Epilogue: Decisions**

A couple days after the raid on the arms dealer, Rick was moved out of ICU and into a private room. Though the risk of retaliation was low, a policemen would still be posted outside his room until he was discharged from the hospital. Friends from the 12th, such Ryan, Esposito, Lanie, Tory, and a couple others paid him a visit, but so did Jenny and Sarah Grace. That Saturday, Martha, Alexis, Kate and Rick were all in the room playing cards.

"Gin." Alexis said beaming her smile as she laid down the cards on the bed.

"Again. Geez Castle, what did you teach her?" Kate said smiling as she passed her cards over to Alexis who gathered them up.

"I just taught her the basics." Rick replied with a smile and nod towards his daughter. "Who knew she turn into a Gin Rummy Assassin."

"What do we owe you dear?" Martha asked as Alexis tallied up the scores.

"Two weekends with the Mercedes, and a shopping excursion to Sak's." Alexis replied to the question with her own smile.

Martha smiled and looked at her watch. "Oh dear, I promised the production I would be back today. I got to run."

I'll walk you down grams." Alexis said to Martha who gathered up her stuff.

"Thank you Alexis." Martha replied as she came over to kiss Rick and Kate goodbye. "See you later darlings."

"Bye mother, break a leg." Rick said with a smile as Martha waved good bye as she left the room. He then turned his attention to Kate. "Well alone at last."

"Yeah too bad you're due for your next round of meds." Kate replied with her smile that drove Rick crazy. She pulled the chair closer and took his hands in hers. "They offered me the Captain's position at the 12th."

"Seriously?" Rick asked getting a nod from his wife. "When?"

"Friday before I came here." Kate replied to the question as she looked at her husband with beaming eyes. "I told them I let them know Monday."

"You know that I will support whatever decision you make Kate." Rick told her with his smile that made her heart skip a beat every time. "Always."

Kate smiles at him and then gives him a kiss. "Thank you babe. But there is one thing I want to discusse with you."

"Yeah, and what would that be about?" Rick asked as he rubbed the top of her hand with his thumb.

"I'm ready Rick. The night when you were shot and I thought I was losing you, I wished at that moment I was pregnant." Kate told him with some tears and little bit of sadness. She felt his hand release and wipe her eyes. She saw him smile and hold her hand again "How about when you are cleared and up for it, we start trying?"

"Kate Houghton Beckett Castle, I would love too." Rick replied giving her a kiss, but was interrupted by a news report that got their attention.

"And tonight in the battle against ISIS, the United States and the coalition dealt the Islamic State a crippling blow when five top commanders and their followers were killed in US led airstrikes in Northern Syria." The news report stated. Kate hit mute.

"Intel paid off. Now where were we?" Kate asked as she turned away from the TV.

"Here." Rick replied as they began to kiss again.

================================Thank you everyone for their reviews and kind words. There will be more stories in this universe down the line.======================================


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